The Los Angeles Lakers win their second straight title by going 15-1 in the playoffs, the best playoff winning percentage in NBA history.

The Toronto Raptors made the second round of the playoffs for the first (and currently only) time in franchise history, winning over New York 3-2. They lost in the second round to Philadelphia 4-3.

Prior to the season, Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning announced that he suffered a kidney disorder and missed the first five months of the season. Mourning would receive a kidney transplant two years later.

To date, this was the last time a team with the best regular season record did not win 60 or more games in a full 82-game season. Though the 2011–12 Chicago Bulls won 50 games and the top overall seed, they did so during a 66-game lockout-shortenedregular season.

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.